Hyderabad: Exorcists have been exploiting hundreds of low-income families in Hyderabad. In the name of black magic, they extort money from victims promising to solve problems related to family, career, finance and health.
The South Zone police, who say this is mere cheating, have initiated a crack down and started opening suspect sheets against the main exorcists to keep them behind bars. Police is also investigating the allegations that these self-proclaimed holy men use narcotic drugs in their holy powders given to victims. At least six exorcists have already been arrested so far after a massive raid in different places.
The fraudsters use items like wooden dolls, small wooden sticks, black pepper, jarada paste, amulets, bundle of papers with random scripts, black threads, bangles, hair bands, nail polish, red colour cloth roles with yellow thread.
“One exorcist named Beluri Srikanth proclaimed that he has the power to eliminate enemies and remove evil from anybody’s life. When a victim approaches, he asks for his enemy’s photograph, and does random things to it using his ‘items’ in order to convince the victim,” said South Zone DCP, Satyanarayana.
The victims are given some powder to consume when they have personal sessions with the exorcist. Police suspects they are mixed with narcotic drugs in order to create minor hallucination. “Once victims visit the exorcist, they get so hooked to the session that they will keep visiting him until their money is drained out,” said the DCP. He added that most of the victims suffer mental problems after these sessions.
“In real terms, these criminals are exploiting innocent people by taking advantage of the bad times in their life. They loot money, gold ornaments, and other kinds of property giving the victims a hard life ahead,” said Mr Satyanarayana.
Now, police has registered a case against fraudsters under 420 of IPC and Section 2 (C) and 7 of the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act, 1954. However, police officials say that if prisons can’t hold them under these laws, they will be booked under the Goonda Act.
The arrested exorcists are Balabeer Singh, Mukesh Kumar, Sanjay Kumar, Beluri Srikanth, D. Yadaiah and Rodda Devanand aka Nandu.
Top cops have asked people not to believe in the false promises made exorcists and have told people to lodge complaints against black magicians with the police stations in their respective areas.
